Cessioned Properties

The following sites and structures were acquired by the San Antonio Conservation Society for purposes of preservation. They have been restored and deeded to other organizations.

Texas State Historical Theater

San Jose Mission

To further protect the Mission San Jose lands, the San Antonio Conservation Society purchased a piece of adjoining property containing a gravel pit. The pit was known as the “Huisache Bowl” because of the many huisache trees surrounding it. In 1937, WPA workers graded the naturally sloping area and built a stage to create an amphitheater so that cultural and educational events could be staged.

The Society deeded the land to the State Parks Board in 1940. In 1958, Governor Price Daniel designated the San Jose Theater as “The Historic Theater of Texas” for its premier staging of “The Cloud of Witnesses” also known as “The Drama of the Alamo” by Ramsey Yelvington.. The Texas State Historic Theatre Foundation assumed administration of the theater in 1960. Plays of note performed under their management included “San Jose Story” and “Los Indios de San Jose” by Ethel Wilson Harris and “Lightning from the East” by Josefina Niggli.

Management of the theater was transferred to the National Park Service on February 20, 1983, when the San Jose Mission grounds became part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. In 1986, the Park Service planned to demolish the underutilized theater. However, community opposition and much needed repairs ensured the theater’s survival into the 1990s.